Les Absolus d'Annick Goutal : Ambre Sauvage
Goutal (2015)

Right form the opening wave I get the amber note,
which is smooth and in the middle between dark and bright - amber indeed. Soon a pink pepper is added that is not very strong and not harsh neither.

Further down the reach there is an influx of floral notes, mainly iris, lavender whiffs of jasmine. The florals cannot really compete with the ambery onslaught, especially al a later stage when a strong styrax develops and envelopes the florals; the styrax then merges with the amber and an additional patchouli to form an strong base triad. The patchouli is quite sharp and screechy, although these latter characteristics are mellowed to some extent by a smooth vanilla that arrives later, although the latter remains more in the background.

With the vanilla, which is neither strong nor very sweet, more in the background, the styrax/ patchouli combination causes the later stages to remind me of a very synthetic patchouli of the ilk that has been so popular with many fragrance houses over the last few years, and whose predictably generic and standardised nature can arise more tedium than interest in the reviewer.

In get moderate sillage, excellent projection and a splendid thirteen hours of longevity on my skin.

This scent for cooler autumn or warmer winter uses fairly standard ideas and combinations and remains rather generic most of the time. On the upside the amber is crafted well and the performance is quite splendid. Overall 2.75/5.